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January 14, 2004

Covering Up...
I would like to say that this mild weather we are receiving is a great thing. Great for me, a person who despises the cold. Not so great however for those plants who need and want a long winter's nap. I have been out in the garden snooping around and there are several perennials in my garden that are starting to "green up" around the root base because the ground temperatures have been so unstable. A couple of things to keep in mind about the garden this time of year.

  1. Make sure that you have adequate mulch in place to stabilize the ground temperature.
  2. Place some mulched-up leaves on top which will add an extra layer of warmth to help keep plants from heaving.

I know that mulched-up leaves are not pretty to look at but speaking from experience they work better than anything I have ever tried. Not only do they help to keep ground temperatures stable they also break down into the soil making it easier to work in Spring. Not such a bad thing considering the amount of clay found in our area. So even though the temperatures have been spiking don't be too eager to uncover your plants. I am pretty positive that we still have several weeks of cold winter weather ahead. Sad but true!

Mid January is upon us and Kevin and I are busily preparing for the Johnson County Home & Garden Show which starts Friday, February the 27th through Sunday the 29th. What a great opportunity to walk around and talk with other people in the gardening industry. This is a great show so you will want to mark it on your calendar. We will let you know where you can find us in a few weeks. We love to talk with old and new subscribers alike. Spring will certainly be in the air that weekend! Can't wait!

~ Shelly  

Reconsidering Grow Lights...
When ambient light is scarce many indoor gardeners turn to "grow lights".  These pricey items are designed to emit light primarily in the red and blue regions of the light spectrum.  However, grow lights actually give off less light than standard fluorescent lights.  A standard fluorescent unit containing two regular 40 watt fluorescent tubes or one cool white and one warm white tube will provide adequate light for house plants and are much more economical.  Save your money for the plants!

Source

More On Late Bulb Planting...
In response to our musings last week related to not getting spring bulbs planted early enough, Savvygardener Judy H. of Roeland park writes, "Last year I didn't get my spring bulbs planted in a timely manner... so I bought a few bags of potting soil, set the bulbs on the bare ground of one flower bed and mounded the soil over them to the correct depth. I placed the bulbs closer together than normal; and after they bloomed this past spring, I was able to move them to their permanent home."

Sounds good to us Judy!  We'll try it this year also.

 


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Don't Forget The Birds!
It's hard for our feathered friends to find food in the winter months. Keep your feeders full and you will be rewarded with beautiful garden visitors year round.  If you're interested in attracting specific birds here are some popular birds and their favorite menu items:

Bird Type Favorite Foods
American Goldfinch Niger thistle seeds, broken sunflower hearts, oil-type sunflower seeds.
Northern Cardinal Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn, millet, other seeds, unsalted nutmeats, raisins.
Black-capped Chickadee Oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked unsalted nutmeats, safflower, suet.
Dark-eyed Junco Red or white proso millet, finely cracked corn, oil-type sunflower seed, unsalted nutmeats.
Grosbeaks Sunflower seeds of all types, safflower, cracked corn.
Mourning Dove Oil-type sunflower seeds, white and red proso millet, safflower, cracked corn, wheat, milo, other seeds.
Native Sparrows Red or white proso millet, oil-type sunflower seeds, cracked corn, some safflower.
Woodpeckers Suet, unsalted nutmeats, sunflower seeds, cracked corn.

Source

Blowin' In The Wind...
When those north winds blow we humans find ourselves feeling colder than the actual ambient temperature would suggest.  We know that as the "wind chill factor".  For warm-blooded animals, wind chills can have a profound effect on their ability to keep warm.  However, plants do not respond to wind chills because they do not need to maintain a temperature above that of the outside temperature.  It's not all good news for the plants however.  Wind is desiccating and can dry plant tissues.  Plant tissues require moisture to survive and high wind speeds can cause excess moisture loss from those tissues.  This desiccation may be great enough to injure or even kill tissue, particularly the smaller size wood as in peach twigs, apple spurs or blackberry canes.

Source

 


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Rethinking Repotting...
Upon purchasing a new houseplant a common mistake made by many is immediately repotting it in a decorative container.  Unfortunately this puts additional stress on a plant that may already be pretty stressed out.  A better solution?  Simply place the plant, with it's existing container, inside the decorative pot. Now you have the best of both worlds. 

Anxious For Asparagus...
Want to grow asparagus from seed, but hate to wait the extra year to harvest?  Try seeding the asparagus indoors in late winter to get two year's worth of growth in one season.  Plant seeds 3/4 inch deep in flats.  Sow them 1 inch apart in rows 2 inches apart.  Provide as much natural light as possible and supplement it with fluorescent lighting.  Fertilize the seedlings every three weeks once they have their true leaves.

Source

Finally...
"There is material enough in a single flower for the ornament of a score of cathedrals."

~ John Ruskin

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